The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly interested in retaining wide receiver George Pickens with a long-term contract and have researched the best way to make that happen.
NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler stated that Dallas has been “examining the rosters and cap situations of teams like Cincinnati, Miami and Philadelphia, who are all paying multiple high-end receivers.”
Each of these teams features one top-tier wide receiver and another who would be considered the first option on many teams in the league, a situation similar to what the Cowboys currently have on their roster.
Currently, Pickens is projected to sign a new contract that has an average annual value of roughly $29 million, which would be in line with many of the contracts signed by the secondary wide receivers on the teams mentioned.
Notably, Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins makes an average of $28.75 million per year, Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle makes an average of $28.25 million per year, and Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith makes an average of $25 million per year.
One of the most likely scenarios is that Pickens makes slightly more than each of these players while also taking slightly less money to remain in Dallas with a chance to win games at a high level.
Although many have speculated about the Cowboys re-signing Pickens to a new contract, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones was seemingly noncommittal when asked about the topic.
“There’s no reason not to, (and) there’s no reason to. I can’t give you a why-not, other than the timing might not be good for any of the parties involved. And that has many, many reasons, not only from the player’s perspective but from the club’s perspective,” Jones said, per Jon Machota.
Despite Jones’ refusal to commit to a contract, Pickens has been open about his hope to remain with the team moving forward.
“I wouldn’t mind it. The guys in the locker room are super cool, the energy is great. I always want to showcase my talents,” he explained, per Machota.
When asked what he cares about most when searching for the right fit, Pickens said his main focus is on winning games at a high level, highlighting his past experiences as the reason behind this desire.
“Definitely winning. Just because that’s been my resume the whole time. I won in high school, I won at Georgia. Definitely winning, I always think about winning,” Pickens said, per Machota.
Re-signing Pickens is expected to be one of the Cowboys’ biggest priorities throughout the coming months, but a deal is also not expected to be agreed upon until after the current season.
Dallas will need to string together wins if there is any hope of a playoff run, as the team currently sits at 3-3-1 and faces a difficult remaining path to the postseason.